Web Content Viewer (JSR 286)

Web Content Viewer (JSR 286)

U.S. Codex News—Friday, July 12, 2013

New Electronic Working Groups (eWG)

Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) announced the establishment (or re-establishment) of 3 electronic working groups:

Aflatoxins & Ochratoxin A in Sorghum: Nigeria invites Codex Members and Observers to participate in the eWG to consider draft annex for “Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Sorghum”. This eWG will be chaired by Nigeria and co-chaired by Sudan. Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in this eWG should provide the name(s), official title and email address of their representatives to the Nigerian Codex Contact Point codexng@sononline.org and Chair of eWG (adegboye.a@nafdac.gov.ng ) with a copy to foodsafety.codex@nafdac.gov.ng not later than August 15, 2013. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) as soon as possible.

Lead in Fruits, Vegetables, Milk Products & Infant/Follow-Up Formulas: The United States invites Codex Members and Observers to participate in the eWG to continue with the review of maximum levels (MLs) for lead in fruits, vegetables, milk products and infant formula, follow-up formula and formula for special medical purposes. The United States will chair this eWG, which was re-established at the last CCCF session. Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in this eWG should submit the name, affiliation, contact details and e-mail address of the contact person designated to participate in this working group by August 21, 2013, to lauren.robin@fda.hhs.gov. Please include “CCCF Lead MLs EWG” in the subject line.

Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals: Brazil invites Codex Members and Observers to participate in the eWG to develop the discussion paper to prepare a proposed draft revision of the COP Practice for Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals. Brazil will chair this eWG with the United States as co-chair. Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in this eWG should submit the name, organization, contact details and e-mail address of their representative to this working group to Codex Brazil at codexbrasil@inmetro.gov.br with a copy to ligia.schreiner@anvisa.gov.br and Nega.Beru@fda.hhs.gov by no later than July 31, 2013.

Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) announced the establishment (or re-establishment) of 3 electronic working groups:

Priorities: Australia invites Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in the eWG on Priorities, which was re-established at the last CCPR session. Interested Member Countries and observer organizations should provide name(s), official title and e-mail address of their representatives to the Australian Codex Contact Point at codex.contact@daff.gov.au by August 15, 2013. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) as soon as possible.

Methods of Analysis: The United States invites Codex Members and Observers to participate in the eWG the Performance Criteria for Suitability Assessment of Methods of Analysis for Pesticide Residues. The United States will chair this eWG, with the People’s Republic of China as co-chair. Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in this eWG should submit the name, affiliation, contact details and e-mail address of the contact person designated to participate in this working group by August 15, 2013, to Dr. Pat Basu at Pat.Basu@fsis.usda.gov (Chair), Dr. Pan Canping at panc@cau.edu.cn (Co-Chair), and United States Codex Contact Point at uscodex@fsis.usda.gov. A broadcast email will be sent on September 16, 2013, to all participants of this eWG.

Risk Analysis Principles: Costa Rica invites Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in the eWG on the revision of the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues. Costa Rica will chair this eWG, with Chile as co-chair. Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in this eWG should submit the name, affiliation, contact details and e-mail address of the contact person designated to participate in this working group to infocodex@meic.go.cr no later than August 16 2013. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) as soon as possible.

Milk & Milk Products (CCMMP)

Processed Cheese: New Zealand and Uruguay invite Codex Members and Observers to participate in the eWG to study the possibility of developing standard(s) for processed cheese and products analogous to processed cheese. Parties interested in participating in the eWG should provide, through the Codex Contact Points, the participant’s name, official title, name of country or observer organization, and email address to codexNZ@mpi.govt.nz and codex-ewg@latu.org.uy before August 23, 2013 at 12:00 UTC.Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) as soon as possible.

Other News

The FAO and WHO has issued two data calls to support two electronic working groups established for the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods:

LEAD: Data from the last 10 years on lead levels in fruits, vegetables, milk products and infant formula, follow-up formula and formula for special medical purposes. The WHO Secretariat for the Joint FAO/WHO Expect Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will compile data for the eWG. Data should be submitted to the by Oct. 1, 2013 through the GEMS database, which is now easily accessible on the web.

Note that data that were submitted last year (e.g., for infant formula) do not need to be resubmitted. Data that were submitted to JECFA for the 2010 lead risk assessment also do not need to be resubmitted.

When submitting data to the GEMS/Food database for this work, please:

Provide complete information on the LOQ and LOD of analytical methods;

Provide information in the “Local Food Identifier” or “Notes” fields of the database to allow more specific identification of samples, e.g., Is a food canned or jarred? Is it a finished product or a raw grain?

Provide information on “State of Food Analyzed,” e.g., cooked or raw.

AFLATOXINS: data and any other pertinent information related to residues of total aflatoxins and aflatoxin B1 in cereal and cereal products. Governments, interested organizations and individuals are invited to submit data, preferably individual samples, relating to total aflatoxin and aflatoxin B1 residue levels in cereals and cereal products.

Total aflatoxin and aflatoxin B1 residue levels from rice, corn, sorghum, wheat, rye, oats, and barley from all member countries, including raw individual sample data.

Total aflatoxin and aflatoxin B1 residue levels in cereal products intended for use in animal feed.

Data on aflatoxin residue levels in raw cereals should indicate whether the samples were taken before or after cleaning and sorting of the raw grain.

A description of the analytical procedures used by the sponsor for the detection and determination of aflatoxin residues with information on validation and performance characteristics.

The submitted data may be published or unpublished and should contain detailed information on sampling protocol, sample preparation and method of analysis, including LODs/LOQs. Unpublished confidential data that are submitted will be safeguarded and will be used only for evaluation purposes by CCCF. The WHO Secretariat for the Joint FAO/WHO Expect Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will compile data for the eWG. Submission of data is requested using electronic submissions through the GEMS Food system by September 30, 2013.